Chasing Imperfection
by Sportygirl247
Summary: Annabeth Chase has always had to be perfect her whole life. Her stepmother expects her to be a sophisticated young lady with at least eight zeros to her name. While her father, expects her to become a history professor just like him. All Annabeth wants to be is herself, but that's kind of hard when she doesn't even know how herself. Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone, I'm sort of new to this whole writing thing and any errors or mistakes y'all find I would love to know. I've been reading Fanfics on here for a few years now, and this idea kinda crept up on me. I hope y'all like it! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, otherwise I would be Rick Riordan living in Texas (which I am not).**

_**Chasing Imperfection**_

**By: Sportygirl247**

For the past seventeen years of my life, I have never gotten a say for anything that involves myself personally. My stepmother, Sue, has this crazy idea that I will become an exceptional young woman with at least eight zeros to my name. Then on the other hand, my father, Fredrick, wants me to become a history professor just like him. Truth be told, I don't want to be either one of those things. All of my life, I've just wanted to be me, but, no, I've been too busy trying to be someone that I'm not. A picture perfect definition of a young successful woman. When obviously I prefer my worn out sneakers over overly expensive tacky heels. But that's only the beginning of the story of my oh so fantastic life.

"ANNABETH GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTINCT!" yelled Sue.

"Coming!" I replied as I hurried down the stairs and into the Dining room because apparently eating and conversing in the kitchen is frowned upon.

Sue was sitting down with a placid expression on her flawless face. Gesturing to the other head seat at the other end of the table, I quickly sat down ready to get yelled at over ridiculous things that I haven't done. "Annabeth, darling, one of my old college friends is getting married, and she has requested you to be one of her bridesmaids. This afternoon at 3pm, she's being fitted for her wedding dress so you will have to go, of course. You as well have to be fitted into your bridesmaid dress. I expect you to dress professional for this occasion and to be on your very best behavior. Do you understand that?" said Sue with a quick raise of her freshly plucked eyebrows.

"Yes, ma'am." I said in a monotone.

Sue nodded and said, "Wonderful. You are now excused to go prepare yourself in tip top condition."

I got up and went back up the stairs into my room, and I flung myself on my bed in hast. Why do I have to be a bridesmaid for her friend's wedding?! Why not her?! Ugh, now I have to get ready for dress fitting…what the Hades?! Getting up, I went to my closet and picked out a crisp white button down blouse, black pencil skirt, smart black heels (how can heels be smart? I don't know, honestly. They're hurried painful death traps for crying out loud!), and a black blazer to top off the white blouse. Sitting down at my vanity, I did my makeup and hair. Then off I was to the wedding dress store.

The moment I stepped foot into the store, a lady with brown hair, blue eyes, and dressed up in a skin-tight short red minidress with five-inch nude heels greeted me, "Hello, dear, I assume that your Sue's daughter, Annabeth. I am Tiffany, Lauren's Maid of Honor."

At the words "your Sue's daughter," I wanted to cringe because Sue will never be my mother. Instead of correcting Tiffany, I just smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Tiffany."

Tiffany smiled and started walking towards the back of the store, "Come on, it's time to get fitted and for us to help out Lauren because that woman doesn't knows what she wants." With a chuckle.

All around the store were hundreds of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, Maid of Honor dresses, and prom dresses. As we approached the other bridesmaids they all introduced themselves; Claire, Olivia, Gene, and Eva, while I politely introduced myself back to them.

Showing me a short pink dress with a tulip-like fold at the skirt of the dress, Gene told me, "This is your dress, Annabeth. We have all already tried ours on and so now it is your turn!"

I went into one of the opened dressing rooms and changed into my bridesmaid dress. Looking in the mirror, I saw that it was a perfect fit. Turning around in it to just catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, Tiffany yelled, "Come out, Annabeth! We want to see!"

Following her orders, I stepped out and when I did they all gasped, "You look beautiful, darling!"

An unfamiliar woman,which I guess is Lauren, came out of the dressing room just beside mine in a wedding dress and said, "Ah! A perfect fit! Oh you look absolutely stunning, dear!"

After spending three traumatizing hours at the dress store, finally I could leave. Heading out the dress store, I walked to a nearby café. Just as I was about to walk in, the door opened and slammed me in the head.

"Oh my gods! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" panicked a mysterious boy, who looked blurry as I tried to see, but my head was in throbbing pain. He steadied me, but all I saw was black.

**A/N: I hope y'all liked it. Critism is highly appreciated by all means. Review, please! I need to know if I should continue and if any mistakes or comments y'all want to tell me, then review away!**

**-Sportygirl247**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone! Since I wasn't able to update yesterday…HAPPY NEW YEARS! I've decided to continue on with this story (well how could I not, it's all I could think about), and besides everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed…THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH! I hope y'all like this chapter because well…oh y'all will see…Enjoy and Happy Reading! (Psst…Don't forget to review! I really appreciate it! Thanks!)**

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good…hehehe sorry I couldn't help myself (quoted Harry Potter by the way if y'all are confused). Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah! I swear upon the River Styx that I DO NOT own the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series! *Thunder BOOMS* Uncle Rick does, whose not really my Uncle, but I can wish, right? Right. **

**Chapter 2**

My head felt as if it was being rapidly beaten by a dozen bricks. I had a headache the size of Manhattan, metaphorically speaking of course. Opening up my eyes, I couldn't tell where I was. The room had stark white walls, no windows, just the soft cot I was laying on at the moment, a wooden stool, and myself.

Suddenly the door opened and in came a man with salt and pepper hair, pale blue eyes, had a light tan, and wore a white doctor's jacket over his button down shirt and slacks. He sat down in the stool beside the cot and said, "Ah, I see you're wake. I'm Dr. Collins. It seems to me that you have a slight concussion from the looks of the swollen knot on the right side of your forehead."

"How did I get here? All I remember is walking to the nearest café near one of the dress stores and right as I was nearing the door, somebody came out and slammed me in the head. They had tried to steady me, but I guess I must have blackened out." I stated, getting even more curious by the second.

Dr. Collins looked giddy, as if happy with my respond, "Oh yes, Ms…..?"

"Chase." I said quickly but yet politely.

"Oh yes, Ms. Chase. You remember just fine! If it wasn't for the young man waiting outside in the waiting room, then your condition would've possibly have been worse." said Dr. Collins.

Flashes flashed back in my head trying to get a glimpse of whom this young man is, but all I that came up were fuzzy blurry flashbacks of a mysterious boy steadying me…"Uh...the young man waiting outside in the waiting room brought me here?" I asked.

Dr. Collins smiled warmly, "Indeed, Ms. Chase. He is the someone who had slammed you in the head with the door by accident as he was exiting the café you were about to go into. When you had blackened out, he came running in just as I was about to lock up. Blurted out the whole accident in less than a minute and then proceeded to beg me to do a check up on you."

For once I was stunned, usually this doesn't normally happen. Who in their right mind would confess their wrong doings, knowing that they would be frowned upon? Sue had once told me that there are some people, who all no matter what, are open-spoken people. They're impulse and speak before they think. While there are people, who all often keep to themselves and thoroughly think before they speak; complete opposites of the impulsive.

Curiosity got the better of me no before I could even think, I asked timidly, "Can I go meet him?"

Dr. Collins didn't seem shocked by my question, in fact, he seemed quite happy, "Yes, you may go; but before you go, let me give one of piece of advice. Don't let him go," He paused looking straight at me in the eyes. "Hope you get better, I'll go tell one of my nurses to go call in your medicine." Then he got up from his stool and left the room.

I slowly got up from the soft cot, due to the throbbing pain my head was in, and walked out to the waiting room. Sitting in one the plastic chairs sat the "young man" or the "mysterious boy" as I had dubbed him as. He had shaggy short raven hair, Caucasian skin, and wore a blue thermal with comfortable relaxed jeans and a pair of worn-out black sneakers. At the moment he was slumped forward with his arm bent resting his head. He seemed to be asleep by the looks of his eyes being shut and the pool of drool dripping onto his left jean cladded leg.

I didn't know what to do, perhaps I should wake him up? Slowly I stretched out my arm and with my fingers, I tapped his shoulder three times. Pulling back, I glanced over his slumped form and suddenly I just swiped his bent arm, causing him to roll forward out of the plastic chair. As soon as his body moved forward my way, I sidestepped, in which caused him to flop down on the floor.

The mysterious boy opened up his eyes, which were twinkly sea green, and turned his head my way. "Oh thank gods you're alive! I thought you were dead!" he exclaimed, looking relieved.

He got up and dusted himself off. Once again I was stunned, he should've been in some kind of pain and should've been shouting incoherent things at me; but instead, here he was worried about my well-being first. I straighten out my posture and with my best monotone voice, I said, "You drool in your sleep." *

Embarrassment crept by his face flushing bright red and he started laughing nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "U-Uh…well you look dead in your sleep, which is creepy because you looked sort of peaceful at the same time." He stammered looking quite pleased with his response.

"You're such a Seaweed Brain." I said, looking into his twinkly sea green eyes.

He retorted with a snort, "And you're such a Wise Girl."

At this I tried to hide the grin that was trying to break out on my face and cleared my throat, "Was that a compliment or an insult? Because to me, that sounded like a compliment."

"It's whatever you want it to be." He said with a quick huff looking down at his worn-out looking sneakers.

I stared at him for a few seconds and without breaking my gaze, I said, "Well thank you then…for taking me here and for the compliment."

The mysterious boy looked up at me, I was taller than him due to the death traps on my feet, and his mouth formed a lopsided smile. "It was my fault that you had to be taken here. I didn't mean to slam you in the head with the door," He reached up about an inch and lightly caressed where I'm pretty sure a nasty discolored bruise was forming. "It's all my fault that you have a swollen knot on the right side of your forehead. I'm so sorry."

Trying to hold back a hiss and a shudder from the weird electric shock that coursed through my body. "It's not like you meant too." I said.

He started tapping his right foot as he glanced up behind me and suddenly a look of panic crossed his face. "It's almost 9 o'clock! The pharmacy, where they called your prescriptions in, closes at 10. We have an hour." He stated in a rush.

Thinking that the pharmacy was next door, I stupidly said, "We have all the time in the world, it's just next door," At my words, he started laughing so hard there were tears streaming down his face. "Stop laughing, Seaweed Brain!" I shouted.

Finally he stopped laughing and said, "The pharmacy is ten blocks away from here, Wise Girl." Then he continued laughing; idiot!

Feeling myself getting frustrated, I took a deep breath and grabbed his arm, dragging him out of Dr. Collins' office and onto the streets of Manhattan. He finally stopped laughing and sobered up, trying a look of his surroundings, and picked me up, thus, running us back over to the sidewalk and putting me down. Then he called a cab, New York style and all, and we got in.

The mysterious boy, who I call Seaweed Brain, told the cab driver where. But the cab driver then said, "It's going to be $30.00, young-ins," He checked his wallet, but all he had was $20. Looked over at me and I checked my wallet to find two ten dollar bills. The cab driver grinned. "An extra $5 and I'll get you both there in next twenty minutes."

"Done." Seaweed Brain said.

The cab driver sped off and Dr. Collins' words came back to me, Don't let him go.

I looked over at him and watched him bounce his right leg up and down. It just appeared to me that I haven't asked him what his name is yet. How rude of me. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "What's your name?"

He said, "Seaweed Brain."

I face palmed and then grit my teeth in pain, "No, I meant your actual name, doofus!"

"Percy Jackson." He quickly said, gulping as he did.

I replied, "Annabeth Chase."

"Uh, my name is Percy Jackson. Not Annabeth Chase." Percy said distractedly.

Holding back from hitting him upside the head, I said as calmly as I could, "I know, you just told me. I was merely responding back with my name, you Seaweed Brain."

Percy began laughing once again, "Oh come on, Wise Girl! I was just messing with you; laugh sometime will ya," I turned my head towards my window, away from him. He created his throat and said in a British accent, "Nice to meet you, Annabeth. Would you like a spot of tea?"

Turning towards him, I said in my best monotone, "No, I don't like tea and I don't think you do either."

"Well you are correct! Tea is disgusting and so is coffee! Blue coke is where it's at!" Percy exclaimed.

I looked at him in disgust, "Blue coke?"

A look of defense crossed his face, "Hey hey hey! Don't insult my blue coke! Nobody insults my blue coke! Nobody."

With a quick raise my eyebrows, I said, "I didn't know you were a drug addict."

The look of defense turned into a look of disgust on his face and he said, "Ew! I can't believe you would assume that of me, Annabeth!"

I started laughing, "I was joking, Percy! Laugh sometime will ya?"

"Don't quote myself against myself!" He said, laughing and pouting at the same time.

Next thing I knew, we were both laughing. Before we realized it, the cab stopped and the cab driver said, "Here's you two crazy kids' stop! That'll be $35, please!"

We sobered up, gave him the money, and got out of the cab. Walking into the pharmacy and up to the counter, the Pharmacist asked, "Hello, how may I help you two?"

"We're here to pick up medicine for Annabeth Chase." Percy said before I could even think.

With a few clicks of their keyboard, they said looking at me, "Ah yes, you're to apply the cream to your swollen knot, three times a day and you're to take these pain killer pills twice a day as well." Then went to get my filled prescription and handed it over to me.

"Thank you." I said politely, taking the white paper bag.

The Pharmacist smiled and said, "Hope you get to feeling better. Goodnight."

Percy and I walked out of the pharmacy and onto the sidewalk. Not knowing where we were exactly, despite Percy blabbing street names and such to the cab driver on the way to the pharmacy, I asked, "Percy, where are we?"

"Upper East Manhattan, New York near the pharmacy, Annabeth." He stated manufactory, taking pride in his response.

I did a mental face palm…oh that Seaweed Brain is getting on my last nerve now. "Thank you…," I said chirped and then shouted. "But I didn't ask for our exact location, Seaweed Brain!"

Percy just kept laughing and laughing, while I crossed my arms and huffed. He even called a cab and told the cab driver where to, in between laughs. Why, out of all the people in Manhattan, had Percy Jackson been the one to slam me in the head with the door by accident?!

"You know, Annabeth, you're quite funny when you're mad." He said, sobering up as he did.

I quirked my eyebrows and with a frown said, "Being funny doesn't you make you successful life."

Percy looked at me, dead straight in the eyes and said, "True, but being funny helps you get through life."

The cab came to a stop and after paying the cab driver, less than $10, we got out. I looked up and there was a pizza-shape sign that said, The Best Pizza In Manhattan. "Uh, Percy? What are we doing here?" I asked.

He retorted, "Eating dinner, Wise Girl," Then sighed. "I'm absolutely sure that you haven't eaten since lunch. It's 9:45pm; you were out for almost three hours because of me. Then we went and picked up your medicine, which took twenty to thirty minutes, and then about maybe fifteen minutes to get here from the pharmacy."

Taking in his words, I looked over at him, noticing how genuinely concerned he looked and said, "Come on, let's go inside."

**A/N: Almost six pages on Word, y'all! I hope y'all liked this chapter! I know Annabeth seems kind of cold-hearted and really out of character, but she doesn't know how to act with Percy. It's not the fact that she doesn't know, it's the fact that Percy's breaking down her walls so fast and he's still a complete mystery to her. Hope this helped out some, if not then let me know and I'll explain more detailed in my author's note in the next chapter. Anyway grammar or punctuation mistakes, please let me know. Criticism is highly appreciated! Review, please! I need to know what y'all think so far. Thanks! **

**-Sportygirl247**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! I apologize that it has been so long since I have last updated. I want to thank everyone who had favorited, followed, and/or reviewed! It means a lot to me! I know Annabeth has been acting extremely out of character, but don't worry she'll be the Annabeth Chase we all know and love sooner or later. Please, review! Enjoy and Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I swear upon the Stynx that I do not own the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series nor the Heroes of Olympus series either. That's all Uncle Rick for ya!**

**Chapter 3**

Sitting in The Best Pizza In Manhattan at nine something at night, wasn't on my agenda; but neither was meeting Percy Jackson by an accident, that left me with a swollen knot on the right side of my forehead and a slight concussion.

Percy was playing with salt and pepper shakers when he looked up at me and asked, "What are you going to get?"

I scanned the menu taking in all the words of all of the different types of pastas, pizzas, salads, desserts, and drinks. If I was being completely honest, I've never had pasta, pizza, desserts, or any type of drink that wasn't water, nonfat milk, hot tea, some type of smoothie made up completely with just fruits, or wasn't a nutrition shake made up of greens and protein powder.

"A house salad with light Italian dressing." I said feeling self-conscious.

He looked at me as if I'd grown another head, "What to drink?"

I replied, "Water."

Again Percy just stared at me with his twinkly sea green eyes getting wider by one-tenth of a second and said, "We're at The Best Pizza In Manhattan, Wise Girl. It's seriously the best pizza you'd find here in Manhattan."

I wanted to say, I haven't had pizza in fourteen years because of my stepmother. Instead I bit my lip and asked, "What are you going to get?"

A Cheshire Cat grin appeared on Percy's face just as said, "You'll see."

Just as I was about to check my phone, our waiter came, "Welcome to The Best Pizza In Manhattan. I'm David, your waiter, what can I get the two of you to drink?"

Thinking Percy would say his and then I'd say mine, I kept quiet."I'll have a blue coke and she would have…," He's going to say water. "A blue coke as well." I mentally face-palmed, fighting the urge to throw one of the salt and pepper shakers at him. I had specifically told that Seaweed Brain that I wanted water, not a blue coke.

David, the waiter, asked, "Are the two of you ready to order?"

"Yes," Please say only what you want. Please. "We'll have one large deep-dish pepperoni pizza with black olives. That'll be all," The nerve of that boy, I swear. At this point, I felt like throwing both of the salt and pepper shakers at him. "Oh and can you make that pizza blue?" asked Percy just as I looked at him in complete utter horror.

If David, the waiter, was surprised by Percy's request, his face didn't show one sign of surprise. "My apologies, but we can't make the two of you's pizza blue or the cokes or anything, really. I'll get the drinks though, and once again, my apologizes." He stated and walked away.

Percy turned his head in my direction and gave me a lopsided smile, "You're welcome."

When someone tells you, they're welcome, they're usually told "Thank you" beforehand; but, Percy completely had override and skipped the "Thank you" part to "You're welcome." He hadn't done anything for me that I haven't already thanked him for, in fact, he had purposely ignored my request and ordered whatever he felt like.

"I wanted a house salad with light Italian dressing and water to drink. Never did I agree nor was I asked to share one large deep-dish pepperoni pizza with black olives, with you." I said, getting flustered by the second as he stared at me with this unreadable expression on his face.

If the Seaweed Brain hadn't frustrated me enough, he asked, "Do you, Annabeth Chase, want to share one large deep-dish pepperoni pizza with black olives, with me?"

I wanted to scream, but then that would be rude of me; so I just threw the salt and pepper shakers at him, one by one. Percy caught both of them before they could hit him in the face.

Our waiter had come back with our drinks and had set them down. Just as our waiter had turned his back and walked away, Percy casually took out a bottle of blue food-dye from his pocket. Untwisting the lid, he added three drops to his coke and three drops to mine as well.

With an incredulous look on my face that basically screamed, you've officially achieved a new level of insanity, I asked, "Why do you carrying a bottle of blue food-dye in your pocket? Are you mentally insane?! Because we can always go back to Dr. Collins to have you tested."

Percy looked at me with an offended look and gasped, "Oh, Wise Girl, I'm greatly offended by your question," The Seaweed Brain being, well a Seaweed Brain, started laughing so hard that he started pounding his fist on the table of our booth, while I quickly moved his blue coke out of the way. Sobering up some, he said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk...You of all people should already know why I carry a bottle of blue food-dye in my pocket, Wise Girl."

"Oh, gods. No, I don't, Seaweed Brain. I wouldn't ask you if I had already knew, besides you're carrying a bottle of blue food-dye in your pocket. What the Hades is wrong with you?!" I said frantically getting weird out by the second, staring from him to the bottle of blue food-dye back and forth.

Seaweed Brain laughed, making his lopsided smile grow bigger, and exclaimed, "Always got to be prepared for times like these, Wise Girl! Besides blue food makes everything better!"

I stammered, looking at him as if he'd just told me he was a son of Poseidon and that there's a 600th floor in the Empire State Building. I cleared my throat and simply said, "You're crazy."

"We're all mad and out of our minds, Annabeth. It's okay to act crazy once in a while; it helps us stay sane, believe it or not." His tone had gotten serious with every word.

I exhaled and said, "I haven't had pizza in a long time or soda."

Percy quirked his left eyebrow and trailed off saying, "So what? It's only been maybe a few weeks, a months…"

"Fourteen years, actually." I said quietly.

He looked at me just when our waiter came with our pizza and two plates and said, "One large deep-dish pepperoni pizza with black olives. You two enjoy." And walked away.

Percy placed two pieces of pizza on his and mine plate, and lifted his blue coke up and said, "Here's a toast to you having pizza and soda, blue coke at that complementary from the bottle of blue food-dye in my pocket, for the first time in fourteen years. Bottoms up!" Clanging my blue coke in response and took a drink.

I sat there in awe. He stopped mid-sip, leaned forward, and whispered, "You're supposed to take a drink too, Wise Girl."

Feeling the heat rise up to my cheeks, probably flushing them a light pink, I lifted up my blue coke and took a sip. I could taste the sugary fizzy pop of the carbohydrates swirling in my drink. It was so good despite it being completely unhealthy , thus a hazard for my, well anyone's, health.

I nodded and said, "Oh, gods, this is good."

Percy grinned and said, "Try the pizza."

I took my fork and knife and was about to cut my pizza, when Percy snatched my silverware from my hands.

"What?" I asked.

"You're supposed to picked up your slice with your hands and eat like that, Wise Girl." He stated demonstrating with his.

I cringed, "Eat with my bare hands?"

Percy nodded his head frantically up and down, "Yes, eat with your bare hands. Do you cut your burgers into pieces, too?"

"Um actually, I haven't had a burger either." I said sheepishly.

Percy looked at me straight in my grey eyes and said, "Tomorrow at noon, I'm taking you to Jiffy's burgers."

I scanned my mind to see if I had any plans already made, but none had come to mind. "I don't have any plans as far as I know." I said.

He grinned, "You do now. Come on, now eat your pizza before I steal it because I'm starving! Oh, man, I haven't eaten since…," Suddenly his voice got small. "Uh, I accidentally slammed you with the door. Again, I'm sorry about that."

I laughed. "It's fine, you're forgiven. I'm not going to beat you up."

I took a bite of my slice of pizza and my taste buds were dancing on the tip of my tongue in delight; I kept eating my slice of pizza till it was over and then I started on my other slice.

Percy just smirked and stared at me, I looked up and our eyes met. Then he said, "You can't beat me up."

I swallowed, set down my slice of pizza, and looked him straight in his sea green eyes. For a moment grey met sea green and sea green met grey, till I asked dangerously, "Is that a challenge I hear, Percy Jackson?"

His smirk grew bigger as he said, "Maybe it is, Annabeth Chase."

"Bring it on, Jackson." I said picking my slice of pizza back up and continued eating.

Percy tried to keep a straight face, but then he busted out laughing. That Seaweed Brain! He kept laughing and laughing and laughing till finally he stopped and said, "I'm liking the new look. Pizza sauce on your cheek makes you look really scary with your glares that make me want shiver in fear."

My face flushed bright red in embarrassment and quickly I wiped it off with my napkin. "Do I look scary now?" I asked while making glares at him.

"Terrifying." He said in a monotone.

"Why thank you, Mr. Jackson." I said in my best professional voice.

Percy grinned and replied, "You're very much welcome, Miss Chase."

We continued on eating our food quietly in a sort of awkward silence. It was the good of a sort of awkward silence, but still awkward in deed. The thought of my bridesmaid dress not being able to fit on me had stopped me from reaching over and picking up a third slice of deliciousness. Sue won't be too happy with me if she ever found out that I'm eating pizza and drinking soda. Nor would she be too keen on me being with Percy Jackson for many reasons, and one reason being that he's nowhere near her standards of "worthy."

Percy's smooth voice brought me out of my thoughts, "There's one slice of pizza left, if you want it."

"You go ahead, I'm full." I said trying not look at the slice of pizza.

My stomach growled. He laughed while taking the slice of pizza and putting it on my plate, "No, you have it. You only had two slices, Annabeth. Besides I think you're still hungry, or maybe that was a bear…but considering that we're in Manhattan and the not in the wild, I'd say that it was your stomach."

Hesitantly picking up the slice, I took a bite and chewed while Percy grinned. Pretty soon, I was done with my slice. After arguing over who would pay the bill, which Percy won due to him using the "I slammed you on the head the door!" card, we left the restaurant and was walking.

Neither one of us spoke or even made a sound as we walked down the streets of Manhattan. Sooner or later the buildings turned into trees and the sound of traffic had become almost unbearable, but we were at Central Park, well I hope we were. I've never been to Central Park all that much in my life.

There were trees everywhere, with green leaves and some with flowers on them. The grass seemed soft despite its sharp edge cut look. Birds hopped around in search of food; and squirrels scampered about, running up trees and flickering their long bushy tails. In the center of the park, the heart, was a braze fountain spurting water.

I must have had an awed look on my face because Percy said, "Amazing, right? I always come here to get away from reality sometimes."

It truly struck me how easily Percy could open up. No doubt he's like this with everyone he meets. His sea green eyes were glittering with life looking at me waiting to hear my opinion. As if my own opinion mattered in this world.

Plastering a smile on my face, despite the crawling worry of what exactly my stepmother would do if she was around, I said, "Yeah it's really something, alright."

Percy looked over at me and grinned, "Race you!" And had taken off running towards the fountain.

As I was about to burst out into a sprint, I realized that I have on heels and that I have a concussion. So I walked towards the fountain, where that Seaweed Brain was doing a victory dance, and when I got to him, I punched his arm.

"OW! What was that for?!" He yelped.

I gave him a stone-hard look and sternly said, "I have a concussion, you Seaweed Brain."

His face went slack and he pleaded, I'm so sorry, once again, Annabeth."

"It's alright, you were too excited anyways." I said trying to stay calm and use my manners.

He pleaded with me again, "No, it's not. I'm so sorry, Annabeth. This is all of my fault." And then he hugged me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, keeping my arms down at my sides.

He laughed lightly and said, "Hugging you of course, Wise Girl."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you looked like you needed one that's all." He said sincerely.

Once again Percy Jackson has truly surprised me with his character. Maybe what he said was true that I need a hug or maybe not. Maybe I'm just hearing things because of this concussion. Whatever it is that's fluttering throughout my body, all I know is that it wasn't professional at all. Maybe that's why I shifted my arms a bit and wrapped them around Percy's torso. To rebel against this picture of a professional lady and towards a more just plain old Annabeth picture.

Everything had suddenly become more clearer.

**A/N: I hope y'all liked this chapter. It's scattered I know, but it's from Annabeth's point of view. Please let me know what y'all think about it so far and also any grammar mistakes or suggestions! Review! **

**Thanks!**

**-Sportygirl247**


End file.
